Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to be a total absence of structures for water storage. That just leaves the supposition that
the building served as a meeting space for Damascus elite and local Bedouin.
Regardless of its origins, Kharana has been impeccably restored, and is arguably the
most photogenic of all the desert castles. Named after the
harra
(surrounding gravel
plains), Kharana lords imposingly over a harsh and barren moonscape that appears inhos-
pitable for human habitation. Inside, however, the internal courtyard provides a calm, pro-
tected space that even the wind fails to penetrate.
History
Very little is known about the origins of Qsar Kharana, although a painted inscription
above one of the doors on the upper floor mentions the date AD 710, making it one of the
earliest forts of the Islamic era. The presence of stones with Greek inscriptions in the main
entrance also suggests it was built on the site of a Roman or Byzantine building, possibly
as a private residence.
Sights
About 60
rooms
surround the
courtyard
inside the castle, and most likely served as meet-
ing spaces for visiting delegations. The long rooms either side of the arched
entrance
were used as
stables
, and in the centre of the courtyard was a
basin
for collecting rainwa-
ter. Remarkably, the interior is much smaller than you'd imagine as the walls are decept-
ively thick.
Climb the elegant
stairways
and you'll find rooms on the upper storeys with vaulted
ceilings. Some
carved plaster medallions
, set around the top of the walls, are said to in-
dicate Mesopotamian influence.
Also in one of the rooms on the second floor are a few lines of Arabic
graffiti
, which
were crucial in helping to establish the age of the fortress. Above the door in simple black
script is the inscription 'Abd al-Malik the son of Ubayd wrote it on Monday three days
from Muharram of the year 92'. Stairs in the southeast and southwest corners lead to the
2nd floor and the roof (closed to visitors).
Information
Entrance to the Kharana is through the
visitor centre
(admission JD1, ticket also valid for
Qusayr Amra & Qasr al-Azraq; 8am-6pm May-Sep, to 4pm Oct-Apr)
, which has some
displays on local history. Public toilets are available. The hospitable owner of the adjacent
Bedouin tent, which doubles as the site coffeehousep and souvenir stall, will brew you
